Kandhamal riots contained successfully: Former DGP

“Orissa Police with its limited resources had done a great job during the violence at Kandhamal,” he told the commission of Justice S C Mohapatra.

Nanda was the Director-General of Orissa Police when Saraswati was killed at his ashram at Jalespeta on August 23,2008,that triggered large scale violence in Kandhamal and some other areas of the state.

Present DGP Manmohan Praharaj,who sought 15-day for presenting his views was asked to depose before the commission on September 14,sources said.

Director of Intelligence Prakash Mishra,who also submitted his affidavit,said he was not associated with the job of handling the riots as he was posted in the Police Housing Corporation during that time.

Justice Mohapatra had asked on Friday that the three senior police officers to submit additional affidavits in accordance with the terms of reference of the commission of inquiry.

However,Justice Mohapatra refused to divulge the contents of Nanda’s affidavit,saying “It will not be appropriate to speak on the affidavit given by the former DGP. I may accept or reject his point of views”.

Besides probing the sequence of events and circumstances leading to the killing of Saraswati and incidents of violence that followed,the commission was also inquiring into whether the measures taken,the quantum of force used in anticipating,preventing and handling the situation were adequate.